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February 3, 1939. Washington, D.C. "House-Capitol tunnel may get moving walk. Footsore Congressmen may find succor in their journey from the House office building to the Capitol by proposed installation of a 'moving sidewalk.' President Roosevelt made the supplemental request for $200,000 in an appropriation bill sent to the House Wednesday. David Lynn, Capitol Architect, made a similar proposal last year. A rail subway between the two offices has been decided to be impractical because of the heavy traffic between House office buildings and the Capitol." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.
Below is the same view from March of 2017.
makes it appear at first glance to be full of water. One might expect the Phantom of the Opera to paddle by in his gondola.
Proposed in 1939 and still no "moving sidewalk." However, there is an underground train from the Rayburn House Office Building (two blocks west of the Cannon House Office Building where this tunnel is located) to the Capitol. This tunnel still looks the same (except there is a continually changing display of artwork submitted by children through their congressional offices displayed on the wall on the right).
Oh, and the pipes on the left bring water/steam & electricity to the Capitol from its own power plant not too far away. They're still there and they're painted an ugly peach color, as are the walls of the basement of the Capitol. Luckily, though, there are Shorpyish photographs throughout the basement showing what the various and sometimes now walled-in rooms were like way back when. Pretty neat.
The floor's the same, the railing is the same, all that's changed is now they display Congressional Art Competition winners all along the right wall, from all states & territories. It's called the Cannon Tunnel and it never got its moving walk.
Looks like a scene out of "Metropolis." Modern design, shiny and new.
I think this photographer captured the notorious Eminence Grise of the Roosevelt Administration. That looks like him on the walkway, almost at the curve.
The tunnel looks exactly like this, nothing was ever built.
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